Is it worth separating different plastic resin codes myself, or does the buyer sort it after purchase?
Short answer: Separating plastic by resin code yourself before selling is generally worth the effort if you're dealing with any meaningful volume, since sorted, single-resin plastic consistently prices better than mixed loads — for very small amounts, some buyers are happy to sort a modest mixed load themselves, but you'll typically get a better overall price by doing at least basic resin-code separation first.
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List Free →Why sorting pays off for the seller, not just the buyer
Since single-resin plastic consistently prices better than mixed loads, the value gained from sorting flows to whoever does the sorting — if you sort it yourself before selling, that value benefit is captured in the price you receive rather than being captured by the buyer after purchase.
When buyers are willing to sort a mixed load themselves
For a small, modest amount of plastic, many buyers will accept it unsorted and simply price it as mixed-grade material — the convenience of not sorting is reasonable for small volumes where the time cost of sorting wouldn’t be worth the price improvement anyway.
When sorting yourself clearly pays off
For any meaningful volume, the price difference between sorted single-resin plastic and unsorted mixed plastic typically outweighs the time cost of separating it by resin code — checking the resin code symbol, usually a small triangle with a number, molded into most plastic items makes this a manageable task.
How ScrapTrade Makes This Easier
Listing plastic scrap sorted by resin code on ScrapTrade, even roughly, typically draws more specific and competitive offers than an unsorted mixed listing.
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